“Craft.” What the hell does it mean? We’ve been pondering its beery meaning for years now, and witnessing confusion among consumers on a daily basis. Why? No clear definition.
The end of cardboard beer coasters?; Atlantic Brewing acquires Bar Harbor Brewing; Kirin seeks to acquire Lion Nathan’s; Maine’s changing growler laws; A beery economic stimulus; Dogfish Head begins expansion process; and Red Stripe to can.
For a country that has never possessed much of a discernible brewing heritage, America has taken a leading role in exporting its nascent beer culture around the world.
Since it first appeared in 1992, Good Beer Guide Belgium has grown to include advice on where to buy beer, bar etiquette, what a train is, why cycling is good, how to eat food and so on.
Remember—keeping the beer flowing is the goal. Do whatever it takes. Cut all the corners you need. Short boil or mash? Sure! Extract? Sure! Yeast with no starter? Go fer it. If it gets the beer made, do it.
Since the day McIlhenney opened Alpine’s doors, demand has outstripped supply—by a long shot. The tiny brewery is now readying an expansion that will include a new BBQ pub and a tripling in brewing capacity. Only triple? That won’t be nearly enough.
In this age of economic downturn, it seems more people are becoming increasingly concerned that they receive their money’s worth, and beer does not escape this new focus.
Some may think to themselves that the last thing the craft beer world needs is another brewer taking a lot of malt and a lot of Cascade hops, and acting like it’s brand new; well, Andris Veidis tends to agree.
A funny thing’s going on in craft beer—and it’s been gaining speed for quite some time. Something very American, yet at the same time, decidedly pre-modern. That is, simply, working together.
Put in a little work and a bit of forethought, and scratch beneath the surface. If you do, you’ll find a beer scene that’s quietly burgeoning. It’s been an organic growth, and it’s about to take the rest of the country by surprise.
